Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe contemplating lineup changes after disappointing loss to Yotes

It could be a very different Maple Leafs lineup that plays the Dallas Stars on Thursday night than the one that lost so disappointingly to the Arizona Coyotes.

As the injuries mount, and as scoring sputters, and with Sheldon Keefe calling out his star players for not playing to the elite level they are capable of, the coach has a few hands he could call on to fill out the lineup: Nick Robertson, Wayne Simmonds and Victor Mete.

“We’ll talk about it, but I would think we could find some changes to make, for sure,” Keefe said after Monday’s game.

The first change could be forced upon Keefe, given the health questions surrounding Jake Muzzin. The veteran defenceman with a history of concussions left Monday’s game in the second period after taking a hit from Clayton Keller. He twisted his body — and his neck — in absorbing the hit.

“You never want to see that from one of your teammates, you want to be there to support him,” Morgan Rielly said after the game. “You want him to be healthy, you want him to come back. He’s a big part of our group.”

The Leafs had the day off, so no update was available, but the Leafs medical staff have a history of treating injuries with the utmost of caution, so it would be no surprise if Muzzin missed the game against Dallas, or even more.

“I watched that hit,” said Dr. Ali Rendely, who did not treat Muzzin but is an expert in the field of sports and medicine at the University Health Network. “Whiplash is kind of like saying concussion in some ways because you don’t necessarily need a hit to the head to actually have a concussion.”

If Muzzin was concussed, there would be no definitive timeline for his return, said Rendely, since each person responds to treatment in different ways and heals at different speeds.

But a prolonged absence would change the Leafs defensive makeup, and be a big loss. Muzzin is a key penalty killer and wasn’t available to the team in the third period when Arizona scored the winner on the power play.

Keefe would have to bring in Mete (5-9, 187 pounds). He’s a smallish, puck-moving defenceman who could play the left side or the right side. Rasmus Sandin has been learning the right side, but could easily switch back to the left to play the bottom pair with Mete, with Mark Giordano replacing Muzzin with Justin Holl.

The Leafs would do well to wrap their six defencemen in bubble-wrap, given how injuries on the blue line has depleted their depth. Muzzin would join Timothy Liljegren (hernia), Jordie Benn (groin) and Carl Dahlström (shoulder) in sick bay. Liljegren is back skating. Benn, who signed over the summer as a free agent but got hurt in training camp, is sidelined until November. Dahlström will be out most of the season.

None of the current AHL Marlies under contract to the Maple Leafs have any NHL experience.

The more intriguing insert into the lineup would be Robertson, who would likely replace Denis Malgin on the second line. Robertson is a pepper-pot of energy and would probably have a chip on his shoulder knowing that the only reason he was dropped from the team before opening night was that the Leafs were worried they’d lose Malgin on waivers, and Robertson didn’t need waivers.

“He seems very ready for this season,” Sandin — Robertson’s teammate on both the Marlies and Leafs — said. “He wants to prove to everyone where he belongs.”

The added element of intrigue is the fact Robertson’s brother, Jason, plays on the Dallas Stars. Last year, the two players faced each other for the first time in the NHL. Neither scored in the Leafs’ 4-0 win, but mom and dad were in the building.

Malgin, meanwhile, scored in the opener against Montreal, but has been fairly invisible since. He played 8:44 on Monday, the second lowest total on the team.

Keefe might also find a spot for Simmonds, one of the more popular players in the room who found his career in no man’s land having cleared waivers and facing the possibility of playing in the minors for the first time in his career at age 34.

He didn’t report to the Marlies — with the Leafs’ blessing — and worked out with the team’s development coaches while he thought about his fate.

The Leafs were allowed to recall Simmonds — like Mete and Robertson — only when goalie Matt Murray’s injury Saturday, a torn adductor muscle (on the inside of the thigh), was deemed so serious he would miss at least 10 games so the team could get cap-relief on his $4,687,500. Simmonds would likely replace Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, who played a team-low 6:15 on Monday. Both offer similar physicality, but Simmonds has a history of scoring goals.

“I’m super happy to have him in the locker room again,” said Sandin. “Happy for him that he’s back and great for the rest of the team as well. He’s a special guy.”

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